Produce in Focus

APPLES AND PEARS:

Fancy a sweet, juicy Pear? Keep you eyes peeled for the and Bartlett varieties. These Southwest and Hills grown pears are a good all-rounders being suitable for both cooking and eating fresh.

Be sure to pick up the rather delicious Packham, Bartlett, Josephine and Beurre Bosc varieties, and don’t forget the sublime Goldrush, our very own WA developed pear. Similar in appearance to the Beurre Bosc, it’s a wonderful eating and cooking pear and has a beautiful crunch.

Choose pears that are well formed, free of cuts and bruises, smooth and plump. If hard, let them ripen naturally at room temperature. If the flesh near the stem gives a little, the pears are ripe; they can then be stored in the refrigerator to last longer.

Look out for a glorious array of Apples for Royal Gala, Galaxy, Hi Early, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Granny Smith and Sundowner.These crisp and sweet new season apples are always an absolute treat. Deliciously moist in muffins and cakes and a revelation of texture and contrast in savoury salads.

Also keep your ear to the ground for the new WA- bred Western Dawn, which will be sold under the name Enchanted. This specialvariety is bound to be popular as its pure white skin doesn’t brown when cut. The pink-coloured Enchanted has been bred naturally from the varieties Lady Williams and Golden Delicious and has a delightfully sweet yet tart flavour, with good crispness.

AVOCADO :

WA-grown Hass avocados are in season from mid-August to February. They are grown in Carabooda, just north of Joondalup, through to Pemberton in the south of WA.

Avocados are a good source of are cholesterol free and are low in sodium and saturated fats. Avocados are one of the few fruits and vegetables to contain fats – but the good news is, they’re heart healthy ‘good’ fats. Most of the fat in avocados is mono-unsaturated and has been linked to improved skin condition and reduced blood cholesterol levels.

Buy avocados that are ripe and ready, and you’ll notice the difference! Any ripe avocados that are not for eating immediately can be stored in the fridge for a day or so without losing their quality. If you purchase avocados that are not quite ripe, place them into a brown paper bag with a banana to speed up the ripening process, which can take several days.

The creamy, nutty taste of avocados makes them an ideal substitute for butter. Use thick slices of avocado in sandwiches and rolls, crispbread, lavash bread, Turkish bread and salads. Or make smooth guacamole for nachos, a creamy pasta sauce or added to plain yoghurt for a spread with a difference.

Pick up some local Hass avocados and indulge in the world’s most nutritious fruit.